Introduction
We are all aware of UCAS, the formal centralized organization responsible for managing and processing all university applications, primarily handling undergraduate, postgraduate, teaching training, and conservatoire courses. This has been UCAS’s sole purpose for years, but it has been a popular opinion that the university application process has grown outdated, with many students finding it a struggle to write a personal statement, feeling that it doesn’t reflect who they are and what they can bring to the university.
Therefore, UCAS has ditched personal statements in 2024 applications to favor middle-class students and make the application process less stressful. Now, UCAS has decided to use structured questions (a multi-question survey) to ‘bring focus and clarity for students and reduce the need for support.’ UCAS confirmed this on 18th July 2024, stating that these changes will be implemented for those applying to university for 2026.
The new UCAS application process:
Rather than focusing on the advantages students have had in their lives, the emphasis is more on their motivations for studying the courses, their preparations, and their circumstances. UCAS has announced a summary of what the questions will focus on:
- Motivation for Course – Why do you want to study these courses?
- Preparedness for Course – How has your learning helped you be ready to succeed in these courses?
- Preparation through Other Experiences – What else have you done to help you prepare, and why are these experiences helpful?
- Extenuating Circumstances – Is there anything that the universities and colleges need to know to help them put your achievements and experiences so far into context?
- Preparedness for Study – What have you done to prepare yourself for student life?
- Preferred Learning Styles – Which learning and assessment styles best suit you, and how do your course choices match that?
There are also more changes being made to the 2024 applications:
- Academic references are being reformed, moving from a free-text approach to a set of three questions, similar to the personal statement reforms.
- The ‘Entry Grade Report’ will be created, allowing applicants to see grade profiles that have been accepted for courses over a five-year period.
- A ‘Course Recommendation Tool’ is being created to provide applicants with personalized suggestions for courses based on their current grades and preferences.
Change for the better
UCAS stays firm in its decision, believing that these changes will be for the better and improve the entire university application process. Their decision was based on student feedback and aims to offer greater support for applicants from different academic backgrounds.
UCAS recently published a report on their current application process called the Future of Undergraduate Admissionsreport. The report found that, out of the 13,000 students who took part in the poll, 83% found writing a personal statement to be very stressful, while an additional 79% found the statement difficult to write appropriately.
Personal statements were not completely disfavored, with 72% of students still advocating their importance and arguing that it is an essential element of the whole university application process. Personal statements allowed students to stand out beyond their application numbers and grades. However, UCAS is firm in its decision, believing that the new question format will allow students to continue to stand out from other applicants.
When does the new process start?
The new process will be introduced in 2025 for the 2026 applicants. Until then, those applying for the 2024 and 2025 admission periods will still be required to write a personal statement for their application. The original plan was for the process to be put into place in 2024, but after further testing, UCAS decided to push it back. So, essentially, the new process will come into full effect after January 2025.
In addition to this, UCAS is also launching a personalized tool later this year that will give applicants the entry-grade reports, providing students with a wide range of the profiles accepted onto similar courses over a five-year period. This will be done using UCAS data.
Conclusion
This change represents significant developments for UCAS and the overall function and process of applying to university. Personal statements have been the formality since 1993, so while this change brings feelings of unfamiliarity, UCAS is positive that it will make the university application procedure easier and smoother for students in the future.
